Oklahoma State University Athletics
No. 4 Cowgirl Equestrian Heads to TCU
February 21, 2014 | Cowgirl Equestrian
Feb. 21, 2014
STILLWATER -
The No. 4 Oklahoma State equestrian team travels to Fort Worth, Texas, this weekend to take on No. 8 TCU at 11 a.m. on Feb. 22 at Turning Point Ranch.
Follow the Cowgirls
A full recap and final results will be made available following the end of competition on okstate.com. For all of the most up to date information on the Cowgirls on Twitter, follow @OSUEquestrian for live results of the action. Keep up with all of Oklahoma State athletics on Twitter @OSUAthletics and by using the #Okstate hashtag.
About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State is 5-2 this season, with a 2-2 record against the Big 12. The Cowgirls defeated No. 4 Kansas State, 13-6, in Stillwater on Feb. 15. The win marked the fifth straight for the Cowgirls and third this season over a ranked opponent.
Know the Foe
"Anytime you go on the road against a quality opponent to a top school like TCU or any Big 12 school, it's going to be tough because they have great riders and they have good horses," Coach Larry Sanchez said. "Having to go there and ride their horses is a challenge."
The No. 8 TCU Horned Frogs are 5-4 this season and 2-2 in conference play. The Cowgirls and Frogs have faced off once this season on Nov. 16 in Stillwater, with OSU dominating en route to a 14-5 victory. OSU leads the all-time series, 7-5, and has won four of the last five meetings.
OSU in the Rankings
The Cowgirls are ranked fourth in the latest National Collegiate Equestrian Association Poll. OSU opened the season at No. 4 and dropped after losing the first two matches of the season. The current five-game win streak has vaulted the Cowgirls back into the top five.
Over Fences Win Streak
The equitation over fences squad has won five straight after defeating Kansas State, 4-1, on Feb. 15. Senior Samantha Harrison is 5-2 this season in the discipline, picking up Most Outstanding Performer honors in three straight matches. Senior Sammy Elser is 5-2 this season in the event, with wins in her last five matches. In her last three rides, Elser has outscored her opponent by double digits. Freshman Jorden Davis is 4-2 and is on a four-game win streak and senior Andrea Robbins is 3-2 this season and picked up a Most Outstanding Performer award for her win over TCU's Molly Peddicord, 81-80.
Team Equitation Continues to Build Momentum
The equitation on the flat team is 4-2-1 this season and has not lost since Oct. 26 against then-No. 4 Baylor. Freshman Jorden Davis is a perfect 6-0 in the discipline featuring wins over Baylor's Alicia Gasser, 84-76, and Auburn's Demi Steigler, 82-63. Senior Ali Rose is 6-1 and has earned two Most Outstanding Performer awards this season. Her first came in her 86-63 victory over Taylor Alexander of TCU and the second against Auburn's Christina Lin in a 93-43 win. Senior Samantha Harrison is 4-2-1 and picked up a Most Outstanding Performer award against Delaware State in her 94-71 win over Haley Jeske. Her score of 94 was the highest achieved by a Cowgirl this season.
Horsemanship Consistency
The Cowgirl horsemanship squad holds an overall 6-1 record this season and is winning by an average of 2.43 points per match. Juniors Katy Krshka and Lindsey McMullen and sophomore Ty Paris are a combined 19-2 in the division this season. All-American Krshka is 7-0 and has garnered four Most Outstanding Performer awards this season. McMullen is 6-1 this season and picked up a Most Outstanding Performer honor for her 76.5-71 win over South Dakota State's Sarah Bowen. Paris is also 6-1 and All-American Lauren Halvorson is 4-3 with a Most Outstanding Performer award for her 78.5-78 win over Baylor's Parris Rice.
Reining Dominant in Wins
The OSU reining team is 4-3 this season and in victories, is outscoring the opponent by a combined overall score of 15-4. Sophomore Justine Peters boasts a 6-1 record and picked up her first Most Outstanding Performer award in her 73.5-70.5 win over TCU's Chantz Stewart. Senior Jenna Blumer holds a 5-2 record with two Most Outstanding Performer honors this season, both while on the road. Her first, came in her 72.5-0 victory over Jessica Leach of Baylor and her second against Auburn's Hailey Munger, 71.5-68. Sophomore Erin Willoughby is 4-3 and junior Katy Krshka is 3-3-1 with two Most Outstanding Performer awards.
Last Week's Most Outstanding Performers
In the match against No. 4 Kansas State, the Cowgirls garnered three of the Most Outstanding Performer honors. Junior Katy Krshka picked up two awards in the horsemanship and reining disciplines, and Senior Samantha Harrison earned the honor in the over fences event. In horsemanship, Krshka defeated Danielle Kemper, 74-69.5, and in reining, she defeated Jesse Johnson in a close matchup, 71.5-71. It was her sixth award of the season. In the over fences event, Harrison tallied an 87as she picked up the win over Madison Wayda, 87-83. It marked her fourth Most Outstanding Performer award of the year.
Harrison & Fugitt Named NCEA Riders of the Month
Seniors Samantha Harrison and Mackenzie Fugitt were named NCEA Riders of the Month for January. Harrison earned the honor in the equitation event and Fugitt picked up the award in the reining discipline. Harrison, Fugitt and the Cowgirls competed on Jan. 31, a road contest against Delaware State. Harrison dominated in a 94-71 win over Haley Jeske, the highest score tallied by a Cowgirl this season. In reining, Fugitt defeated Darby Mailhot, 71-68.5, and earned her first Most Outstanding Performer award of the season.
Elser Collegiate Equitation Challenge Reserve Champion
Senior Sammy Elser finished second at the Winter Equestrian Festival Collegiate Equitation Challenge on Feb. 7 in Wellington, Fla., earning Reserve Champion honors. The competition was a head-to-head bracket-style format in the over fences discipline featuring 16 NCEA and IHSA riders. In the first round, Elser defeated Caitlin Ader of TCU in a close matchup, 73-70. The next round, Elser dominated with an impressive 85-70 win over SMU's Juliana Fisher. In the round of four, Elser tallied an 80-75 score over Hannah Williams of Texas A&M to move to the final round of the tournament. In the championship match, Elser suffered a close defeat to South Carolina's Katherine Schmidt, 83-80. The WEF is the world's largest and longest running equestrian competition featuring horses from all over the world.
Krshka Named Big 12 Rider of the Month
Katy Krshka was named the Big 12 Horsemanship Rider of the Month for November. She defeated South Dakota State's Danielle Dickerson 76.5-70.5 on Nov. 2 en route to a Cowgirl sweep in the discipline. On Nov. 16, Krshka defeated TCU's Taylor Gillete 77.5-74.5, which earned her Most Outstanding Performer for the event. She was also crowned the winner of the AQHA Collegiate Horsemanship Challenge.
